Protectors of the Hidden Leaf
by BluesEclipse
Summary: The Profound Darkness has been defeated, but not destroyed, having fled across time and space to a new world. The next generation of Protectors pursues it, and must ally with the shinobi of Konoha to fight foes old and new for the fate of the universe.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of this. I might be able to make a case for the original characters, but everything else here either belongs to Kishimoto(Naruto and related stuff) or to Sega(All Phantasy Star related stuff).

"Speech"

'_Thoughts_'

_Flashback_

**Tech/Skill/Spell/Jutsu Name(Techs/Skills/Magic are using the English names, Jutsus will use the Japanese names).**

_**"Demon/Deity Speaking"**_

* * *

**Protectors of the Hidden Leaf**

**Prologue - The New Generation**

_**The long, long battle of ancient times has ended. The victor has sacrificed the vanquished to the heavens. But even as the light of peace rises over one world, the shadow of Darkness begins to cover another...**_

* * *

A young man, short but agile, leaps forward, his sword flashing out. A pair of daggers rises to block the blade, and the man's blue eyes meet the brown ones of his opponent. His foe, a taller man of about the same age, kicks out, forcing him to leap back. Bringing one hand off of his sword, he reaches down to his belt and grasps a curved object there. With a flick, it unfolds into a boomerang-shaped blade, launching towards his foe. The enemy dodges, receiving a shallow cut on his side for his trouble, the blood hardly noticeable against the crimson of his outfit.

As the blade returns, the young man catches it, and smiles. "You're getting slower, Lucas... you'd normally have dodged that with no trouble." Not waiting for an answer, the young man attacks, slipping his sword into its sheath underneath his brown jacket, and retrieving the second of his boomerang-blades from his belt.

Lucas sighs, saying, "Going back to the slashers again, Ryan? I thought the point of this sparring was to help you work on your swordsmanship..." He quickly deflects the thrown slashers with his daggers, wincing as one of them flies high, just passing over his spiky blue hair. "Why did I agree to a weapons-only spar, again?"

Ryan chuckles as he catches the blades, running a hand through his own short, orange-red hair, and brushing across the tips of his pointed ears. "You agreed to it because you need to work on your own skills, Lucas. Though you're right, I should've kept going with the sword. I'm just more comfortable fighting from a distance, though. Either way, let's call it a day. We've been at this for a while." Lucas nods, adjusting his glasses quickly, and the two return their weapons to their respective belts. Ryan looks at Lucas, and says, "You know, you really should consider getting a different outfit. I still say you look like some schoolkid in that."

Lucas looks at his own outfit, a simple red tunic, black jeans, and black boots, and counters, "As long as it meets the Guild's uniform rules, does it really matter? Besides, if people think I'm just a schoolkid, they'll attack you first."

"Right, because biomonsters are going to be able to tell the difference." Ryan replies calmly. He quickly looks over his own outfit, consisting of a red vest and black shirt beneath the brown leather jacket, appearing to be armored, and a pair of red pants which also appear to have some armor plates sewn into them, as well as a pair of black combat boots. "Of course, if we're up against an intelligent enemy, they'd probably be after me anyway, so it's not like it helps you either way."

Lucas nods as he turns to enter the house nearby, saying, "Yeah, I know, I know, it sucks having heroes for parents. You've told me that several times, now. Just because your last name is Ashley doesn't mean people are going to try and kill you... if anything, they'd probably run away first."

"I'd rather they just ignore it," Ryan answers. "I mean, I'm not the one that destroyed the Profound Darkness, after all. I'm not the one that killed Zio, or stopped the Plate System, or ended the biomonster outbreaks. Yet everyone thinks that just because my parents were great, I'm automatically some amazing hero myself." Sighing, he says, "Why don't you get any of that treatment, anyway? I mean, your dad was involved in all of this, too."

Lucas smiles as he answers, "Well, my father was a scholar, not a fighter. Yeah, he helped out in shutting down Seed, and the Plate System... and Nurvus, for that matter, but he was just following along. And in the end, he wasn't really involved after Zio, no matter how much he wishes he was. Gramps still complains about how if he'd actually stuck with them, the Mahlay name would be known all over Motavia, and we'd be rich by now. Of course, he also ignores the fact that our family is now the weapons and armor supplier for the Hunter's Guild..."

A feminine chuckle answers him as the two boys enter the house. "It does help that your father's such close friends with the guild leader, Lucas." The woman smiles, her blue eyes sparkling with amusement. Her light red hair falls down to her shoulders, broken by the two pointed ears that extend through it, ending in black tips. "Anyway, you two should make sure you're ready to go. I just got a message from Chaz, we've got a mission lined up."

Ryan nods, and asks, "You'll be coming along too, mom? Or do you have another mission?"

"Your father and I are both coming, Ryan. Apparently, there's a pretty big hive of Locusta that they've found near Termi. We're going to wipe it out." The woman turns back to checking her own armor, a black, swimsuit-like outfit that hugs her figure, with large metal shoulder plates from which a short, translucent blue cape trails. Her arms are bare, though a pair of gloves sits on the nearby table, with three long, claw-like blades protruding from each. Her toned legs, likewise, are bare, save for the black boots she wears.

Ryan nods, and heads down the hall, while Lucas replies, "A Locusta hive? I'm surprised they're sending all of us along, Rika. Is there something more to this, or is it just a large hive?"

Rika opens her mouth to answer, but before she can, a voice comes from the front of the house, saying, "It's a pretty large hive, but more importantly, we've got reports of a mutated Locusta there, one the size of a house. I felt it best to err on the side of caution for this one." The speaker walks into the room, a blond-haired man in red armor, a sword with an ornate blue hilt strapped to his side. He smiles at Rika as he walks over, giving here a chaste kiss as he reaches her. "So, I'm guessing we're about ready, then?"

"Yeah. Ryan's just getting his gear together. You're ready then, Lucas?" Rika responds, looking at the boy.

Lucas smiles, saying, "Yeah, I've got my gear ready." He looks up at the man who entered, and says, "So, Chaz, this'll be the first time the four of us have been working together in a while, huh?"

Nodding, Chaz says, "Yeah. For you and Ryan, it's your first mission as full-fledged Hunters... our partners. Brings back memories... though I'm sure this one won't wind up leading us all the way around the system to stop some ancient evil."

Ryan chuckles at that comment as he re-enters the room. "It would be pretty unlucky to have to save the universe twice, wouldn't it? Anyway, I'm good to go."

"Right," Chaz nods, "let's get going. Everyone gather around, and..." Ryan steps over towards the group, as everyone steps a bit closer to Chaz. "**RYUKA**!" A flash of light encompasses the group, and when it fades, the house is empty.

* * *

"You're sure, then?" A man looks up towards a screen, his blue hair tied into a ponytail reaching past his shoulders. His blue eyes are calculating as they gaze at the screen, and the dark-haired figure depicted within. "There's no possibility that it's simply an error in the readouts?"

"I'm afraid not, Rune." The figure replies, his black eyes emotionless, and his face surrounded by the same black metal that forms his head and the rest of his body. Demi's doublechecked these results, and I've done a separate scan myself from Zelan. Something's happening at the Edge Rift. It may not be related to the incident from twenty years ago, but..."

Rune nods. "We need to check, just in case. If this is related to the Darkness... As hard as it is to believe, there may be that possibility that our victory wasn't as complete as we thought, after all. You said a time warp of some sort occured right when we defeated it, right, Wren?"

"Affirmative. Upon striking down the Profound Darkness, a temporal anomaly occured. Elsydeon shielded us from the effects of it, but it is possible that the Profound Darkness used that anomaly to send some part of itself through time in an effort to maintain its existence." Wren replies, his tone one of simple fact, with none of the concern one might expect upon hearing that a goddess of evil may not be as dead as previously believed. "I've already informed Demi that you are en route, she'll be monitoring the situation from Nurvus. Will you be contacting the others?"

"I plan to," Rune answers. "At least Chaz and Rika, anyway. It's been a couple of years since I last saw them, at least five since I last saw Gryz or Hahn. A part of me can't help but wonder whether it would be more cruel to bring them into this, or to leave them out of it, really. Still, if we pick up Chaz and Rika, we'll have Ryan and Lucas with them, most likely. Add Alana and myself to that, and we should be capable of handling anything that comes up."

"You do not wish to disrupt the peace that the others have found," Wren states. "Is Alana aware of the situation?"

Rune looks over towards the girl sitting in the seat next to him. Her light brown hair is tied into a tight braid, reaching down over her shoulder and nearly to her slim waist, resting against the dark blue blouse she wears. The pale blue cloak that she wears is bunched up behind her head as a makeshift pillow. "No," Rune sighs, turning back to the screen, "I haven't told her yet. I don't want to panic the girl, after all... I did let Kyra know before leaving, though. The only reason she didn't come along is because someone needs to stay at the mansion to run things there. I'll explain everything to here once I meet with Chaz and Rika, though."

"Understood. Demi and I will continue to monitor the situation, and will inform you of any changes." Wren's image vanishes from the screen, and Rune looks out a window in front of him, gazing at the dusty-brown planet he is approaching.

'_Back to Motavia... and back to the Edge Rift..._' he thinks, sighing. '_This was all supposed to be over twenty years ago... but I get the feeling that all we've managed to do is change the rules of the game... a pity nobody's bothered telling us the new ones._'

* * *

Looking at the massive, mantis-like creature looming over them, Ryan chuckles. "Well, I think we've found our mutant. They weren't exaggurating when they said it was the size of a house, were they?" He looks at the six normal-sized creatures in the cavern with it. Each standing roughly eight feet tall, their beady red eyes fixed upon the group of Hunters, and their scythe-like forearms raised threateningly, they begin to scurry forward on the four thin legs attached to their abdomens. The Locusta Queen behind them raises its own blades, letting out a shrill screech as it brings them crashing down, arcs of slicing wind flying at the group. Ryan and Lucas dodge to the side, while Chaz jumps to the left. Rika seems to move both directions at once before simply vanishing, the wind blade passing harmlessly through the space she occupied. She appears before each of the creatures simultaneously, all seven images of her swiping with each claw, before vanishing. As she reappears, standing over the groove left by the Queen's wind blade, one of the smaller creatures falls dead.

Lucas raises his hand, muttering "**Gra**", and the Locusta begin writhing in pain as the air around them seems to warp. The effect fades quickly, though the twisted husk of one of the creatures falls to the ground, parts of it crushed, while other parts were torn to pieces by the twisting gravity field. Raising his dagger, a spiralling vortex of wind launches towards the Queen, only to be blocked by one of its massive blades.

Ryan turns towards the two insects remaining on his side of the cave, noting that his parents are handling the others, and flings out his slashers in a single fluid motion. As the blades slice into his targets, he jumps to the side, dodging another blade of wind from the Queen. He hears a hiss of pain, and turns towards Lucas, seeing a shallow cut in his leg. With a whispered "**Res**", Ryan gestures towards Lucas, and a vibrant emerald light glows around the wound briefly, closing it. Catching his returning slashers, Ryan says "**Saner**", and smiles as he begins to feel lighter, and seeing the faster movements of his companions. "Hey, Dad! Why don't we freeze them out?" he asks as he raises his slasher to block the strike of one of the smaller Locusta, sliding its blade to the side and then jumping back.

"Good idea! On three, then!" Chaz answers, his sword gleaming as he slices through the last of the creatures on his side of the room. "Three! **Nazan**!" he shouts, raising his hand as a powerful cyclone begins to form around the Locusta Queen. Ryan's shout of "**Giwat**" is barely heard over the roar of the winds, but the effects are clearly seen as the hue of the cyclone turns an icy blue and the temperature of the cavern drops drastically. As the blizzard sweeps through the room, sharp crystals of ice form from the moisture in the air and mix with the slicing winds, tearing through the remaining creatures. As it fades, the Locusta Queen screeches in pain once again, and opens its mandibles, sweeping across the cavern floor with a beam of energy.

As he dodges, Ryan flings one of his slashers forward, angling it almost perpendicular to the ground, while both Rika and Lucas seem to vanish from view. As the slasher starts to slice at the Queen, beginning to circle upwards around it, Rika appears before its abdomen, slicing into it with her claws. Even as she strikes, a second image of her striking overlays the first, almost as an echo, leaving a second set of gashes in the creature's body. At the same time, Lucas appears, seemingly hovering at the creature's neck, as he slices into it, the same echoing image following his strikes. As both reappear in their original locations, the creature lets out one final, gurgling cry as it topples over, shaking the cavern upon its landing. "Well," Ryan pants, "that wasn't too bad. Only... what, a couple hundred of the things total, not counting this behemoth?"

"That's... about... right..." Lucas replies, gasping for breath. "I do wonder, though... how it came... to be this large? Is it standard evolution... or something else?" He looks towards the creature inquisitively as he adjusts his glasses.

"Who knows?" Chaz comments. "Either way, our job's done. I'm sure Hahn will wind up sending someone from the academy to take a look at it, though, now that the area's cleared. Anyway, let's get going. We'll report in, then head back to the guild."

Nodding, Ryan returns his slashers to his belt, Lucas doing the same with his daggers as the two turn to follow Chaz and Rika from the cavern, the massive creature left behind them.

* * *

A sihlouetted figure stands silently before a massive crater, the very ground blackened with corruption. The figure tilts its head slightly, as though listening to an unheard voice. "I understand, my master... it shall be as you command." The figure's dark eyes glow red briefly as it steps forward, over the crater's edge. It begins floating downward slowly, as though riding an elevator. "The preperations will be completed here, and then those insolent fools will pay for opposing you." After plunging deep into the rift's depths, the figure steps into an opening in the side of the crater. Looking towards the wall of this opening, a mass of dark, twisted flesh can be seen against the wall, appearing to be a grotesque sac, somewhat larger than an average human.

The man raises his arms, and a wall of shimmering darkness forms before the sac. "Such fools they are... I shall be your instrument of vengance, my master. Chaz Ashley... and the great Lutz... they, and those fools that aided them, shall know despair." The sac pulses with dark energy, and the air around the man seems to twist and warp, causing the man's form to begin to fade. "I shall begin preparations in this other world for you as well, my master... All shall know the power of Dark Force..." Sinister laughter echoes through the crater as the man's form fades.

* * *

Rune looks up at the large structure before him. Made of sandstone, like nearly all of the other structures on Motavia, the Hunter's Guild is a large building, taking up the entire northern section of the town. Men and women, wearing various outfits, but most sharing the crimson color worn by Hunters, pass through the doors regularly. Next to him, Alana leans silently against the building, checking the blades of one of her own claws. Nodding to herself, she places it back in the holster sewn into the inside of her cloak, and says, "Master Rune, might it perhaps be best to seek them out, rather than simply waiting for their return?"

"If we try to chase them down, it's possible we'll wind up passing them by, especially since they're likely travelling by tech," Rune answers, shaking his head. "From what the desk clerk told me, it's not a particularly dangerous mission, even if they're facing a giant bug. I'd expect to see them arriving soon enough." Alana nods, and looks out towards the town once again. "Of course," Rune continues, "Lucas is the only one we have any real chance of seeing until they're right in front of us. Rika's never been that tall, and Ryan got cursed with Shorty's genes..."

"And even after twenty years, you still don't stop calling me that." Rune chuckles as he turns towards Chaz, who is walking up to him, with Rika, Ryan and Lucas following. "So, given that you're waiting outside the guild, rather than lounging on the couch in my living room, I'm guessing this isn't just a social call?"

Nodding, Rune answers, "Yeah. I've gotten word from Wren... they've picked up some odd readings from the Edge Rift. Some energy spikes that have been happening, far more frequently as of late." Alana gasps quietly at this statement, though Rune simply continues, "I haven't sensed any traces of the Black Wave, but it's still something that needs to be checked out."

"Oh..." Rika looks at Rune, concerned. "You don't think... I mean, we destroyed the Profound Darkness. There's no way it could be coming back, right?"

"Honestly..." Rune responds, his expression guarded. '_Honestly, I can't help but get the feeling that our battles are far from over..._' Rune shakes his head briefly, clearing his thoughts, and continues, "It's not likely that it's anything more than residual energy. Probably just the last mending of the tear in reality that opened up the Edge in the first place. It can't hurt to check, though. I wanted to bring you guys along, just as a precaution."

Chaz nods, and says, "It makes sense. Elsydeon would probably react if there was anything there still, and I know Rika would sense it as well... I wouldn't be surprised if Ryan could sense it, for that matter. Still... maybe we should let the others know what's going on. I do see you brought Alana with you, but what about Kyra and Raja?"

"They're back on Dezolis," Rune replies. "Unfortunately, Raja can't pull away from his duties for anything less than another catastrophe at the moment, and I needed Kyra to stay at the Esper Mansion to keep things under control there."

"Will we really need the others, though?" Ryan asks. "You said yourself you don't think it's anything to be worried about, and if you've got two Hunters, an Esper, and yourself there, that would probably be overkill for just checking out the place."

Alana looks towards Ryan, and counters, "It may seem so, however, there is still the chance that this could prove to be a serious issue. If it is, it would be better handled with the other Protectors..."

"Or, if it is something that's going to become a problem, it might be something we need to handle quickly," Lucas responds, "before it becomes a major threat."

"Maybe," Chaz nods, thinking. After a moment, he says, "Rune, you take Alana and the boys here, and go check out the Rift. If it seems like it's going to be something worth worrying about, wait for us, Rika and I will go get Hahn and Gryz and come meet you there."

Rune smirks, and answers, "I see that after all these years you've actually learned something, Shorty. That should work, though I expect we'll have this wrapped up by the time you get there. Either way, we'll head out to Zema, since it's the closest place where we can travel with Ryuka. We'll plan on meeting at the ruins of Mile, alright?"

"That should be fine. We'll see you there shortly," Chaz says, nodding. He turns to leave as Ryan and Lucas join Rune and Alana, but stops suddenly, his hand moving to the hilt of his sword. After a moment he nods, then turns and says, "Ryan..." The group turns towards him, and Chaz takes his sword from its sheath, holding it out. "Take Elsydeon with you. If something does happen before we get there, you might need it."

Ryan blinks at this, looking at the sword. '_He really wants me to take Elsydeon? Does he really think something's... no, if something were going to happen, he'd send me and Lucas after Hahn and Gryz, while they went with Rune. But... why would he give me Elsydeon, then?_' "Are... are you sure about this, dad?" Ryan questions, surprise evident in his tone as well as his expression. At Chaz's nod, Ryan reaches out and takes the sword. As he grasps it, images flash before him briefly...

_A woman in pink, brown hair flowing behind her as her blade strikes towards a great beast of darkness... A young man wearing blue armor, his blue eyes burning with determination as he stands against a mechanical form masked with a woman's face... A brown-haired hunter, her slashers flying as she strikes at a man shrouded in darkness, whose red eyes burn like hot coals... A blond-haired man, easily recognizable as a younger image of his father, standing alongside a pointy-eared woman, a young man in a white cloak, a tall, armored figure that seems more machine than man, and a green-skinned humanoid outfitted as a priest. The five stand within a twisted world of darkness, weapons raised as they look towards a female figure towering over them, emanating a darkness so powerful they can barely stand... The figure of darkness crumbling, and with it the world around them... "I sense a time warp. It's getting bigger. Danger! Danger!"... Elsydeon glowing, and bursting into infinite shards of light, guiding them from the darkness, before returning to itself... And as the darkness fades, pulled into a vortex even darker than itself, a pair of burning red eyes seems to gaze upon it all..._

"Let me guess..." Chaz says, "You just saw flashes of all the battles against the Darkness?" Dumbstruck, Ryan nods. Chaz smiles, "It happened to me when I first took the sword. From what I understand, it's part of the process that binds the sword to the wielder. Either way, take care of it. We'll see you later." Ryan nods, and unsheathes his own sword, handing it to Chaz before sheathing Elsydeon in its place. As he turns back to Rune, awaiting the soft pull of the Ryuka technique that will take them towards their destination, he can't help but ask himself about what he saw at the end... and a shudder runs through his body as the image of those red eyes flashes before him once more.

* * *

Gazing down into the crater, Rune sighs. "Well, getting down in there isn't going to be easy... fortunately, Demi was able to get us an accurate reading on where in here those last spikes originated from. At least we won't be trying to check this entire place out." Walking around the Edge Rift, the crater that once served as gateway to the Edge of Darkness, Rune mutters to himself before finally hammering two long poles into the ground. Looping a long rope around them, and tugging firmly on it to ensure that it stays in place, he nods to himself. "Well, then, down we go. Once more into the abyss..." Holding firmly to the rope, Rune moves over the edge of the crater's rim, and begins descending. Lucas follows, then Ryan, and finally Alana.

After a long climb into the crater, the four step off into an opening in the cavern's wall, sloping upwards into a cavern. "Stay close, everyone," Rune says, "just in case we need a quick exit. And be ready for anything." Rune pulls out an ornate staff, and the others following suit, taking out their own weapons. The group advances, Rune moving in the front, a faint glow emanating from his staff's top, and Alana and Lucas slightly behind him and to the sides, with Ryan taking the rear.

Proceeding into the cavern, Ryan says, "I feel... something... off about this place. It's hard to describe, but it's something that definitely shouldn't be here..." Rune raises an eyebrow at this, and closes his eyes, extending his senses outward. After a moment, he shakes his head, and looks back towards Ryan questioningly. "Yes, I'm sure," Ryan replies to the unasked question, "it's from somewhere in here... somewhere close, too."

"I see... You take the front, then. It may be that Elsydeon is heightening your natural ability to sense the Darkness..." Rune comments as he shifts towards the back of the group, Ryan moving forward. "Or it may be something completely different that Numans can sense. None of my predecessors had any involvement with that project, so I don't have any memories regarding what you might or might not be capable of, aside from what I know about your mother." '_It would be an odd coincidence, though, for something else to be here that you can sense which has the same feel as the Black Energy Wave..._' Rune thinks to himself as he gazes forward, into the shadows of the cave ahead.

Advancing through the cavern, the group finally reaches what appears to be a dead end. However, attached to the wall is a pulsating mass of flesh, with tendrils extending into the rock and seemingly drawing... something... from it, into the main portion of the mass. Being almost half again Lucas's size, the dark mass sits like a tumor against the stone of the cave, the purple-gray flesh shifting and quivering. As they watch, a single eye forms within the grotesque growth, a sickly, yellow orb gazing balefully at them. "By the Light..." Alana whispers, stepping back as fear washes over her, along with an overwhelming sense of darkness. "This is..."

"Dark Force." Lucas says. "It's the only thing that it could be. A creature birthed from the Profound Darkness, sharing aspects of its own power. We've found a Dark Force that's still incomplete... and it seems to be feeding off of the very life energy of the surrounding area. To think, such a thing could be here, after so many years..."

Ryan flings a slasher forward with a flick of his wrist. The silver blade spirals through the air, arcing slightly on a course directly for the creature's single eye. Just before making contact, however, the blade glances off of a barrier, a shimmering wall of pure force, tinged with darkness. Catching the returning blade, Ryan glares, saying, "A barrier? Can this... this _thing_ really be that powerful already?"

"Perhaps," Rune answers, looking at the barrier. '_This power... no, we watched him die. But then, I had memories of Lashiec dying, and yet we faced him again..._' Shaking himself of those thoughts, Rune raises his staff towards the barrier, saying, "It doesn't really matter, though. With the Psycho Wand, a barrier like this won't be much protection..." The orb at the top of the staff glows, pulsating slowly. The barrier begins to pulsate in time with the orb, and both begin increasing in tempo. After a moment, the orb stops with a single, long pulse, and the barrier follows, its energy fading. "There. The barrier's gone... if you ever had a time to use Elsydeon, this is it, Ryan. We need to make sure that Dark Force doesn't get a chance to return."

Nodding, Ryan draws the sword and approaches the cancerous growth attached to the cavern wall. The sword glows brightly, and he plunges it forward, piercing the creature's yellow eye. As black blood and yellow pus ooze out from the wound, another pair of slits above that eye open, and for a brief moment, Ryan finds himself staring into glowing red eyes. Pulling the sword back, he quickly slices through the mass again, cutting it cleanly in half. A gurgling cry comes from the mass as he steps back, and the creature begins to tremble, with cracks of light forming over its body, originating from the wounds given by Elsydeon. Finally, the creature's form shatters, and Ryan turns towards the others, a shout of triumph on his lips.

The shout dies in his throat as he sees the expressions of his companions... concern on Rune's face, fear on Lucas', and outright panic on Alana's. Feeling a sudden rush of dark power, he turns back and sees the wall opening, almost as though a giant maw, into a swirling vortex of darkness. "What's happening?" he shouts as winds pick up, whipping through the cavern. Any response, however, is drowned out by a loud rumbling noise. Turning back, he sees the others now looking at what he sees all too well... the now-collapsed entry to this cavern. Running over towards them, he says, "We need to get out of here! **HINAS**!" The energy flares around him, and extends towards his companions, before being pulled off into the vortex.

Lucas grabs hold of Alana's arm, pulling her towards him as the pull of the vortex intensifies. Plunging a dagger into the wall with his free hand, he distantly notes that they won't be able to hold against this for long... and even if they could, they have no idea how long this vortex will linger, or if they will be able to escape after it fades. "Is this similar to what happened when you defeated the Profound Darkness before, Rune?" he asks, shouting to be heard over the roaring winds whipping through the cavern.

"I don't know!" Rune yells in reply. "Elsydeon pulled us out of there almost immediately! If this is the same kind of time warp that happened then, the sword should be helping us out..." Rune casts an almost accusing glance at the sword in Ryan's hand, even as he thinks, '_Is it possible, though, that this is supposed to happen? That we were suppoed to be here, to go through this... portal?_'

Looking at the vortex, and then back at the sword, Ryan closes his eyes. Blazing red eyes flash before him, their silent gaze promising destruction, mayhem and bloodshed. He thinks, '_What was it that I saw when I first took Elsydeon? Near the end, just before those eyes?_' He opens his eyes, the swirling darkness of the vortex dancing along the sword's blade, seemingly intertwined with the faint glow of the sacred weapon. "This..." he stops himself, noticing the trembling of his voice. Taking a deep breath, he speaks again, firmly, "This is what we need to do... that vortex is our only way out of here. Everybody, hold on!" Rune gazes at him searchingly as Lucas grasps Ryan's left arm, having wrenched his dagger free, gripping tightly as he pulls Alana closer to himself. Ryan looks at Rune, their eyes locked in a silent conversation. After a moment, Rune nods and grasps Ryan's right arm. Nodding, Ryan pulls his foot out from the crack in the wall that he had wedged it into, and begins to move towards the vortex, the others cling to him and to each other. After a moment, their feet leave the ground, and they find themselves drawn into the darkness. Vaguely, Ryan hears a breaking sound, and notes what almost look like glowing snowflakes swirling around them...

* * *

A man gazes towards the opening in the wall angrily, watching as the attackers charge through, over and around the three great serpents. His dark eyes slide over the village-turned-battlefield, red trails tracing down his face from each eye making it seem as though he was crying tears of blood at the scene before him. His long mane of white hair billows in the wind behind him, held from his face by metal headband with two horns protruding and the kanji for 'oil' adorning it. His garb - green kimono and pants ,long red vest, and massive scroll strapped to his back - seems out of place there when contrasted against the black-clad forms darting to and fro, clashing against one another with blades, fists, and the elements themselves. As he watches, one of the black-clad figures approaches him, leaping up onto the rooftop he was watching from. The metal plate on his own headband sparkles in the light, the stylized leaf etched into it the only symbol showing which side he was on. "Jiraiya-sama!" the man shouts, "We have to do something! The walls are breached, shinobi from Sand and Sound have spread throughout the streets, Hokage-sama is trapped within that barrier, the sand-demon is loose-"

"You help fight the invaders... I can deal with the snakes. As for Shukaku... the brat's got him under control." Jiraiya answers, biting his thumb and forming a quick series of hand seals. As the man jumps back towards the fray, a kunai knife driving into the shoulder of an attacker with a stylized hourglass on his plate(worn around his arm, rather than as a headband), Jiraiya slams his hand down, shouting, "**Kuchiyose no jutsu**!" A spiderweb-like formation of symbols expands out from his hand, and a cloud of smoke engulfs the area. A slight pulse of an unknown power echoes along with it, as Jiraiya looks at the already dispersing cloud of smoke. To his surprise, instead of the toads he intended to summon, a group of people stands there, all holding onto one another. The group looks at each other, and then at their surroundings, before the eldest of the group finally sets his gaze upon Jiraiya. However, it was not him, but one of the younger boys that speaks, the one holding an ornate, faintly glowing sword.

"Whatever we were expecting, Rune... I don't think this is it." Before anyone could comment further, a trio of shuriken flies by, two passing harmlessly overhead, and one leaving a shallow cut in the boy's cheek. Turning towards the assailant, another black-garbed shinobi with a musical note etched into the plate on his forehead, who stands with a pair of his companions, the boy raises his sword, swiping it in a quick arc. A blade of wind launches forward, with two of the men jumping aside. The third is spilt in half by the attack, but poofs into a broken log before hitting the ground. The boy's own allies turns towards the other two, as he himself turns around, his blade meeting the flesh of the third assailant, stopping the attacker in mid-strike as the sword pierces his chest. "We need to figure out what's going on... the sooner the better."

The one addressed as Rune nods, turning towards Jiraiya. "I can see that this might not be the best time... but maybe you should explain to us what we've been dropped into, here?"

Blinking as he glances over the others - '_That girl is using purely sealless ninjutsu... if it weren't for the fact that she's slower than most genin, I'd think her at jonin level, easily... and that tall kid's no slouch, either. Even the shrimp with the sword's doing well against these Sound-nins_' - before turning back to the blue-haired man before him, replying, "Alright. I don't know why my summoning jutsu brought you instead of my toads, but here's the situation..."

* * *

**A/N: **And so it begins. The next-generation Protectors, with Rune in tow, have found themselves in the middle of a war, and now Jiraiya's got to deal with them as well as the invasion. Next chapter, we'll get to see what Naruto and the others are doing, and see what happens with the invasion thanks to this bit of unexpected help. This chapter was, admittedly, somewhat OC-centric, but it was needed to set the stage... once things get going, we'll be seeing more of the others as well, so don't worry about that. And for those wondering, the quote at the start of the chapter was taken, and slightly modified, from the intro to Phantasy Star IV. Anyway, look for the next chapter in about a week, possibly sooner, and in the meantime, please review!

* * *

_**Techs/Skills/Spells/Jutsus Introduced in this chapter:**_

**Techs:**

**Hinas - **No Element, C-Rank - This technique will transport the user, as well as those in close proximity, to the exit of a building, cavern, or other enclosure, provided the user can picture the location in his mind. This is similar to a Jikujan ninjutsu. The more individuals being transported, or the greater the distance traveled, the more energy is required.

**Ryuka - **No Element, A-Rank - This technique can transport the user and those in close proximity to the gates of a town, village, or city that the user knows. Again, the more people involved or the greater the distance, the more chakra is used.

**Gra - **Earth Element, C-Rank - Uses chakra to manipulate the mass of small earth and dust particles around the target. This briefly creates a zone of wildly fluctuating gravity around the target, twisting, warping, and crushing their body for a brief moment. This can affect multiple targets, provided the caster has line of sight to all of them.

**Giwat - **Water Element, C-Rank - This technique condenses water from the air to pull three rapid blasts of water towards the enemy, battering them in quick succession.

**Nazan - **Wind Element, A-Rank - This technique creates a massive cyclone of wind which will move through the battlefield. The winds will slice through enemies, and can throw them elsewhere as well. The caster must see the cyclone to direct it.

**Res** - No Element, D-Rank - This technique generates a small amount of healing energy around the target, speeding up the overall healing of the body. It is similar in effect to the Sozo Saisei Jutsu, but not as powerful, and it does not cause the cells to divide, but instead works to clone the existing cells to repair damage. This technique will close surface wounds instantly, but deeper wounds, internal injuries, or broken bones will not be healed.

**Saner** - Wind Element, B-Rank - This technique causes wind to flow around the targets more naturally, allowing them to move faster. This can affect a number of targets, dependent on proximity and the chakra available.

**Skills:**

**Disrupt** - No Element, B-Rank - The user of this skill "phases", becoming slightly out of sync with time-space, and vanishes from their current position. The user will appear before several enemies simultaneously, launching the same single strike against all of them, then appear back at their original position. It will appear to be an advanced clone jutsu, but while the user is able to damage the targets, they are invulnerable during the instant of the attack. This skill requires more chakra based on the number of targets, their distance from one another, and their proximity from the original. Only the most exceptional users of this skill are able to strike at more than five simultaneous targets, no matter the conditions.

**Airslash** - Wind Element, C-Rank, Required Weapon: Sword, Dagger, Kunai - The user focuses wind chakra into the blade, and releases a wide blade of wind with a swipe of the blade.

**Vortex** - Wind Element, D-Rank, Required Weapon: Slasher - The user throws the slasher at a sharp angle, twisting wind around it to make it loop around the target multiple times, slashing them repeatedly.

**Cancelling** - No Element, S-Rank, Required Weapon: Psycho Wand(Staff) - This skill, embedded into the Psycho Wand, cancels out barriers. This can be stationary barriers in place around an area, or personal shield Skills, Spells, Techs or Jutsus on a person. By causing the staff's power to resonate with the barrier, the user takes control of the barrier and cancels it out instantly.

**Spells:**

**Hewn** - Wind Element, B-Rank - This spell conjures vortexes of swirling wind, lashing at the targets repeatedly. The spell uses more energy for multiple targets, and all targets must be within sight. Lucas carries a dagger with this spell embedded into it, allowing him to focus the magic on a single target.

**Magic Barrier** - Dark Element, S-Rank - This spell creates an impenetrable barrier of darkness. The barrier can be formed around a location, or around a person. So far, use of the Cancelling Skill from the Psycho Wand is the only known way to breach the barrier.

**Jutsu:**

**Kuchiyose no Jutsu**_**(Summoning Technique)**_- No Element, C-Rank - This technique summons a creature that shares a bond, formed via a blood-sealed contract, with the summoner. The amount of chakra varies based on the creature or creatures summoned, and the summon has free will to aid the summoner or not.

**Kawarimi no Jutsu**_**(Body Replacement Technique)**_** - **No Element, E-Rank - This jutsu lets the user quickly switch places with another nearby object, such as a plant (normally a section of a log), an animal, or even another person within reach, the moment an attack hits. Most often, this jutsu is performed seallessly and soundlessly.

**Combination Attacks:**

**Blizzard** - Combining a water Tech from the Wat class with a wind Tech or Spell, such as Zan or Hewn, this attack creates a spiralling storm of sub-zero air and crystallizes the water into ice shards, slicing into the victims. This attack is particularly useful against enemies from the deserts of Motavia, who are unused to the cold.

* * *

**Also, I'd like to note that I am currently in need of a beta reader for this fic. If you're interested, and are familiar with both Phantasy Star IV and Naruto, please send me a PM!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of this. I might be able to make a case for the original characters, but everything else here either belongs to Kishimoto(Naruto and related stuff) or to Sega(All Phantasy Star related stuff).

"Speech"

'_Thoughts_'

_Flashback_

**Tech/Skill/Spell/Jutsu Name(Techs/Skills/Magic are using the English names, Jutsus will use the Japanese names).**

_**"Demon/Deity Speaking"**_

* * *

**Protectors of the Hidden Leaf**

**Chapter 1 - The Invasion**

* * *

"Our village has been attacked by one of our nuke-nin, Orochimaru," Jiraiya begins. "You've probably heard of him." Rune shakes his head, even as he watches the battle around them. "I see..." Jiraiya continues. "Well, he's a powerful shinobi, an S-Rank ninja and leader of Sound. He's manipulated Sand into attacking us along with his village, and even now, he's fighting our Hokage back at the arena for the Chunin exams." Jiraiya looks out towards the war-torn village towards a large arena, where a barrier of purple flame was visible. "As much as I'd like to be helping him, my summons are really the only things available for dealing with those." Nodding towards the snakes that are moving towards them, Jiraiya continues, "I was trying to get a toad here to deal with them, but since you showed up instead, I can't wonder what's going on..."

_'Drawn into a war, and Light only knows where... I guess it was too much to hope for that this would've been nothing...' _Rune thinks as he looks out towards the barrier. Breaking free from his thoughts, he says, "We were caught in a space-time warp. It's a long story, and now's not the time... I can feel the dark power from within that barrier... I can also feel something else, farther from this village. It feels..." Rune shakes his head, as Jiraiya interrupts.

"The One-Tailed Tanuki, Shukaku. The demon was sealed within one of the Sand ninja, and as far as I'm aware it's close to breaking free. I think we've got some people going after it, though..."

Nodding, Rune says, "Lucas, you remain here and help Jiraiya with their defenses. Ryan, you're with me, we'll go help this Hokage... Just from the power I can feel, this Orochimaru reminds me of Zio, which means whatever he's doing can't be good. Alana, see if you can't track down that demon and help whoever's trying to pursue it. Just be careful."

Jiraiya blinks, saying, "I appreciate the help, but are you sure that girl should be going after the demon? And, for that matter, how do you intend to breach that barrier?"

Rune turns to leave, saying, "We'll be fine. Just plan on giving us more of an explanation later. For now, though, we've got a war to win." Looking out towards a group of ninja advancing towards them across the rooftops, Rune raises his staff, saying "**Legeon!**" and a barrage of pure energy launches towards the enemy shinobi. Several clouds of smoke appear as the shinobi substitute themselves with debris to escape the attack, but over half the group is pummeled by the blasts of magical power, and the rooftop is left clear in its wake.

"**Saner**..." Ryan whispers, even as Jiraiya looks on at the aftermath of Rune's spell, and the five of them find themselves wrapped in a light barrier of wind, lightening their bodies and hastening their movements. "That should help out... Lucas, Alana, be careful out there." He jumps across to the next rooftop, Rune following.

"You too..." Alana says quietly before closing her eyes, seeking out the dark power nearby. _'Let's see... alright, over there. That must be it...'_ Her violet eyes snap open, and she nods towards Lucas, before jumping down from the rooftop. Cushioning her fall with magic, she puts a pair of gloves on, each with three long blades extending from just above the knuckles. She takes one last look up towards the rooftop before darting through an alleyway towards the second source of darkness, eyes scanning for enemies as she runs. _'This power... it's dark... but it's not the same as Dark Force. It's just... malevolent... this place has its own evils, it seems.'_

Adjusting his glasses, Lucas draws his daggers, and says, "So... those snakes are going to be a problem. However..." Turning towards one of the snakes, one of his daggers glows with a bright red light, and one of the snakes is suddenly engulfed in a massive pillar of flame. It quickly turns towards the rooftop that Lucas and Jiraiya stand on, as do the others. "Well... they're resilient, it seems. And given that they rely on scent as much as sight, my Illusion skill won't be of any use..."

_'These people... just who in Kami's name are they? And how is it I've never heard of a group like this?'_ Jiraiya thinks to himself as the snakes advance towards them. "Alright, let's try this again. I'll get a summon and deal with the snakes, you just help out where you can, alright?" Lucas nods as Jiraiya flashes through hand signs, running towards the edge of the rooftop. Biting his thumb and slamming it down, he shouts, "**Kuchiyose no Jutsu!**" and a massive cloud of smoke appears around him, dispersing quickly as a gigantic toad leaps out of it, swords crossed over its back and Jiraiya standing atop its head. As the toad draws its swords and strikes at the snakes, Lucas turns, seeing another pair of shinobi landing on the rooftop next to him, both with the music-note symbol on their headbands.

As the two advance towards him, drawing kunai, Lucas raises his daggers, thinking, _'Later on, I'll have to see if he can teach me that. I'll have to watch for those hand signs, as well, since they seem to be linked to the Techniques used in this place...'_ Darting forward, Lucas strikes at one of the shinobi, his dagger clashing with the attacker's kunai before he slips around the side. He thrusts his second dagger forward at one of the attackers, a vortex of slicing wind forming around the man and repeatedly slashing into him before dissipating. The man vanishes in a puff of smoke, a log left in his place, and Lucas says to himself, "I'll have to learn that one, as well..."

As the figure appears behind Lucas, his hands moving through seals, another black-garbed ninja shouts, "**Futon: Renkudan**!", finishing his own hand seals. Bringing his hand up to his mouth held in a circle, the ninja blows out a ball of spinning wind, which slams into the Sound ninja as Lucas turns, knocking the man back. "You alright, kid?" the ninja asks, as Lucas sees the Leaf symbol on his headband. Nodding, Lucas vanishes, a shimmering form appearing before the second Sound-nin. The shinobi swings at Lucas, his blade passing through as Lucas slices forward with his daggers, what appears to be an echoing afterimage mimicking the attack. The man cries out in pain at the two cuts on his body, as Lucas swipes again, landing two more blows before vanishing, and reappearing where he first stood, next to the other Leaf-nin, daggers ready as another trio of shinobi, wearing the Sand's symbol of the hourglass, lands on the rooftop opposite them. "I've got them... if you can go help with the evacuation of the civilians, that would be appreciated."

"I'm not from this village..." Lucas admits, "I don't know where they'd be going. Are you sure I should..."

"Yeah. Even if you don't know where the shelters are, just look for other ninja," the ninja answers. "If they're enemies, deal with them, if they're ours, just stick with them. Shouldn't be too hard." Lucas nods and turns, running towards the village and jumping down from the rooftop.

* * *

_'That explanation didn't answer much. Still, the mere fact that this Orochimaru possess such dark power is reason enough to fight him, and we can get more information later...'_ Rune thinks to himself as he runs through the village, Ryan close behind him. "Hear anything nearby?" Rune asks, watching Ryan tilt his head slightly. After a moment, Ryan nods.

"Fighting," he answers, "coming from ahead. That's the arena, though, so I can't be surprised there's still battles going on there. Any idea where we are, anyway?" As Rune responds with a shake of his head, Ryan sighs... "Great, just great... as if having to deal with a new Dark Force wasn't bad enough, we have no idea where we are. From the looks of things, I'm not sure these people even have the technology for space travel..." Traling off, Ryan thinks to himself, _'We may be stranded here... and if Dark Force attacks Algo again... we've got to find a way back.'_

Rune looks at Ryan, and said, "We'll get home, trust me. Besides, Elsydeon wouldn't have guided us here without a reason. Right now, though, we have a battle to fight. Let's get moving." Ryan nods in reply, and Rune runs forward to the arena entrance, Ryan following. As they enter, they can see several battles being fought through the stands and across the arena floor. "Remember, the ones with that Leaf symbol are on our side..."

Moving forward, they skirt around behind a Sand ninja who was facing a silver-haired Leaf shinobi, the latter tracking their movements with his mismatched eyes. The Sand ninja turns towards them, only to be forced to dodge a blade of wind from Ryan, as the two jump up onto a collapsed portion of the wall and into the stands, climbing towards the barrier. _'I don't recall seeing them in the village before...'_ the Leaf-nin thinks, even as he slams his blade into the base of the Sand-nin's skull, killing him. _'And they're heading towards the Hokage... I can't follow, though, until the arena is clear.'_ The silver-haired shinobi turns back towards the stands, rushing towards another enemy.

Reaching the top of the arena, Rune and Ryan rush towards the barrier, stopping as the three cloaked men there turn towards them, white animal masks covering their faces. One of the men, wearing a white cloak in contrast with the others' black cloaks, questions, "Who are you, and what business do you have here?"

"We're here to help," Rune replies. "Jiraiya mentioned that your Hokage was trapped in that barrier."

"Jiraiya-sama sent you?" the white-cloaked man asks. "I see... however, they are maintaining this barrier from within. We lack the ability to break it. And Orochimaru has resurrected two of the previous Hokages with a Resurrection Jutsu, forcing them to aid him... if we could get inside, we could aid him... however..."

Rune gazes into the barrier, looking past the hazy purple flames and seeing a large forest seemingly sprouting from the building itself. Within, a sphere of utter blackness can be glimpsed, with a pale-skinned man standing outside it. The sounds of metal striking metal echo from within the barrier as well. The man turns towards them, his slit amber eyes narrowing as he met Rune's blue ones. "That man... that's Orochimaru?" Rune says, more as a statement than a question. The white-cloaked man nods, and Rune mutters, "His soul... such darkness..." Raising his voice, he says, "I'll crack this open. Ryan, be ready to move. You can feel the two in that dome, I'm sure... we'll take them out first."

Nodding, Ryan shifts Elsydeon into an offensive stance as Rune raises the Psycho Wand. The staff's tip begins pulsing with light, faster and faster until it seems to match the flickering flames of the barrier. Suddenly, the flickering stops, and the light fades... and the barrier with it. As Ryan rushes forward, Elsydeon's blade begins shining brightly. The cloaked figures dart towards other figures that were hidden in the corners of the barrier, garbed in the same outfit as Orochimaru, taking advantage of their surprise and attacking them. As they begin fighting, Ryan dashes into the darkness, which disintegrates under the sword's light. Rune says, "I've got the blue one... **FLAELI!**" and thrusts his staff towards a white-haired man in a black outfit similar to the other ninja, with blue armor atop it. Four bolts of flame launch from the staff, streaking towards the man, who opens his mouth and expelled a stream of water, which swirls upwards into a barrier to absorb the flame.

"What...?" Orochimaru mutters as Ryan seemingly vanishes, appearing before the second, slightly younger looking man in red armor. The man's dark eyes gaze expressionlessly at Ryan as he thrusts forward, sharp branches shooting from a nearby tree and passing through Ryan's form. Ryan slices into the red-armored man with Elsydeon, a second image of himself echoing the strike. As Ryan vanishes again, reappearing where he stood before, two trails of light can be seen through the man's body, where Elsydeon cut through.

The man turns towards Ryan, and a smile crosses his lips as he whispers, "Thank you... and Saru... I'm sorry." As the man's body collapses into ash, a third figure, behind the man, looks up. This elderly man wears solid black, both the ninja outfit and his black armor, and his sharp grey eyes gaze out from his wrinkled face at the two newcomers. Looking at the red-clad ninja's remains, another body can be seen sticking out, wearing a Sound headband.

"You... you even sacrificed your subordinate's lives for this? Orochimaru..." Orochimaru turns back towards the elderly man, about to speak, only to be interrupted by Rune.

"I see... You truly are as bad as Zio..." Turning towards the older man, he says, "You are the Hokage, correct?" At the elderly man's nod, he continues, "I see. I'm sorry to interrupt, but I'd like you to let me deal with Orochimaru." The snakelike man's name was almost spit, as Rune continues, "Ryan, you help the Hokage with that guy in blue... Elsydeon's more than capable of disrupting whatever's holding their bodies together." Turning back to Orochimaru at Ryan's nod, he says, "I'm not entirely sure what you're after... but..." Orochimaru's eyes narrowed, and a wave of killing intent washed over Rune, who shrugged, and finished, "I've faced down monsters, machines, demons, and the Profound Darkness itself. I'm going to make you regret coming here, Orochimaru."

Chuckling, Orochimaru responds, "Kukuku... You are certainly an interesting one... I'd like to learn more about your Jutsu, but I still need to kill Sarutobi-sensei, so..." Orochimaru raised his sword, continuing, "I'll kill you, and then I'll take the secrets of your jutsu from your corpse!" Rushing forward in a blur, Rune raised the Psycho Wand, barely blocking Orochimaru's sword. As Orochimaru jumps back from Rune's swipe of the staff, he says, "So, that weapon can even withstand Kusanagi... and I thought only Enma's staff form could do so. I'll have to remember to take that weapon, as well," Orochimaru says, looking curiously at Rune.

_'He's fast... faster than Rika, even, at her best,'_ Rune thinks to himself, his eyes never leaving Orochimaru. _'I'll have to be careful...'_

* * *

"This guy..." Ryan says, looking at the blue-armored man, "he's just another reanimated corpse, I'm guessing?"

Sarutobi nods, replying, "Yes. He's still a formidable opponent, though... Nidaime-sama was the man who taught me the shinobi arts. And this Jutsu that resurrected him allows him to regenerate anything... I'm not certain how you were able to stop Shodaime-sama, even."

"Elsydeon..." Ryan began, "is a sword that exists for the purpose of destroying darkness. A soul bound to this world by such corrupted power can't withstand the light of this blade." Shifting into an offensive stance, Ryan continued, "All I'll need is one good strike to take him down... think you can give me that opening, Hokage?"

"I can," Sarutobi answers, "just be ready to strike." Raising his black staff, which seems to grow thinner and longer, Sarutobi asks, "Does your sensei realize just how powerful Orochimaru is, though?"

Ryan chuckles, responding, "Rune knows what he's doing. He's faced far worse than this, believe me." Sarutobi nods, and Ryan smirks, "So, shall we begin, then?" In lieu of an answer, Sarutobi charges towards the resurrected ninja, swiping with his staff. The man blocks, jumping back and raising his arms to block the elderly Hokage's second strike. He raises his hand to attack, but jumps aside as a glowing, boomerang-shaped blade whistles through the air where he stood, arcing around through the trees. Ryan catches the slasher as Sarutobi begins flashing through seals for a Jutsu, and rushes at the Nidaime himself, raising Elsydeon as he hooks the slasher onto his belt. Ryan leaps towards the man, who steps back only to see Ryan smirk as he stabs his blade into the ground before the water user, energy causing the ground to flow up around his feet. The Nidaime jumps forward at Ryan, using his own chakra to cancel the ensnaring attack, and sends Ryan flying with a vicious roundhouse kick as Sarutobi finishes his seals.

"**Doton: Doryuso**!" Sarutobi shouts. Spears of dirt and mud begin flying towards the Nidaime from all around. The Nidaime shifts his stance, bringing his index and middle fingers together before his face.

"**Suiton: Suijinheki**!" The resurrected ninja opens his mouth, and a torrent of water gushes out, swirling into a barrier around the Nidaime and deflecting the spears. Sarutobi focuses, forming more spears to send at him, but the blue-clad enemy darts forward from the barrier, the water swirling around his arm to form a drill. Sarutobi jumps back as the drill of water slams down before him, and deflects a second swipe with the staff in his hands, a return blow knocking the Nidaime back into a tree. The staff extends towards him as Sarutobi thrusts it forward, widening as well, and striking the tree as the Nidaime jumps aside, rushing towards Sarutobi with the drill raised.

As he raises the drill of water to strike, Ryan appears before him, swinging, with the after-image following again. The Nidaime jumps back, and dashes off to the side as Ryan's flickering form vanishes, reappearing right in the man's path. As the Nidaime raises his water drill to strike, Ryan raises a hand, shouting, "**THU**!" and firing a focused beam of lightning at his foe. The Nidaime dodges to the side, but some of the energy arcs into the water drill, shocking the Nidaime's arm. Even as the Nidaime dashes forward again, Ryan jumps to the side, the slasher flying from his hand again. A trail of silver light follows the glowing blade as it spirals upward around the Nidaime, slicing into him repeatedly. Ryan rushes forward, catching the slasher and swinging with Elsydeon, and the ninja leaps backwards, ducking under a blow from Sarutobi's staff.

_'This is going to be difficult... Even with Saner, I can barely keep up with either of them...' _Ryan thinks to himself, panting slightly as the elderly Hokage continues to battle his teacher._ 'And I won't be able to maintain this pace forever. I need a plan...'_ Glaring, Ryan flings the slasher forward again, rushing after it, Elsydeon raised.

* * *

"Uchiha Sasuke!" a boy growls, his face twisted in rage. Sand can be seen spilling forth from a large gourd on the boy's back, spreading over his right arm and the right half of his face, giving the appearance of a massive and misshapen claw arm and the mask of a demonic raccoon-like creature, brown flesh streaked with blue. His right eye is black where it would be white, and the iris of the eye a sandy gold, with a cross-shaped pupil. His left eye, a bloodshot teal, with a dark ring encircling it, holds unbridled rage and insanity, and a scar rests above it, a kanji meaning 'Love'. "Do you fear me? Do you fear my existence?" the monstrous boy shouts to the forest around him, as he gazes around from his perch upon a high branch.

Not seeing his prey, the boy lunges forward, lashing with his claw and cleaving the treetops in his wake. As the forest canopy crashes down behind him, another boy, wearing all black, a headband around his forhead with the Leaf symbol, stands on a lower branch, his back pressed against the tree. _'His strength is insane... what in Kami's name is he?'_ The boy turns to peer around the edge of the tree, at the back of the red-haired figure.

"Are you afraid of me, Uchiha Sasuke?" the monstrous boy shouts. "Your hatred, your anger, your killer intent... have they given way to fear? Is this the extent of your existence?" The boy lashes forward with a claw, cleaving through more of the nearby trees. "Fight me... Prove the worth of your existence! Come at me!"

The dark-eyed boy pushes forward from where he leaned against the tree, his cold eyes narrowing. _'I... I was allowed to live. Me, alone.'_ His hands flash through seals, before he holds his left arm in front of him, palm down, gripping the wrist with his right hand. "Why was I allowed to live? What was the reason?" In his mind, a memory flickers, a dark-eyed child staring up at an older boy with a similar face, but emotionless red eyes, with three tomoe around each pupil. Around the two, several others lay dead, blood staining the ground. Returning to the present, the boy mutters to himself, "No... I know why. That man left me alive to escape the guilt of killing an entire clan..." As the boy spoke, lightning begins to spark in his opened hand, the crackling reminiscent of chirping birds. The ball of lightning grows brighter, a beacon illuminating the area around him. "Itachi chose me... made me an avenger... in order to have me kill him!" the boy says to himself as the lightning dances in his palm, small bolts flying off around him. His eyes shift from black to crimson, with two tomoe in each, as he turns towards his opponent.

The redhead turns, gazing at the light coming from behind the nearby tree, and his face twists into a malicious grin. "Good... Now, let me have some fun... Uchiha Sasuke!" he roars, even as he raises his claw to strike.

"I'll finish this with one blow!" Sasuke says, leaping towards the monstrous warrior, who leaps forward as well, the claw thrust forward to strike. Sasuke thrusts the lightning ball forward, colliding with the claw, splitting through it as the redhead roars in pain.

As the two land on opposite branches, the readhead falling prone on the branch, a blonde girl wearing a pale purple outfit and a Sand headband around her neck shouts from a nearby tree, "G-Gaara!" Concern and fear fill her dark, blue-green eyes as she looks on. As the redhead rises to his feat, maniacal laughter bursting forth from his lips, she whispers to herself, "He... he countered Gaara's attack in his condition?" Her gaze shifts to Sasuke, who is crouched, panting, on the branch he landed on, looking at Gaara, his red eyes fading back to black.

"So that's what it was..." Gaara cries out, his insane grin growing wider even as he clutches at his shoulder. "I just realized... why it's so fun! This pain... To utterly destroy an opponent who could wound me this way..." His gaze falls upon Sasuke, as he shouts, "That will make me truly feel alive!"

"Gaara's never been hurt before..." the girl mutters to herself, "But he managed to wound him twice, first in the arena, and now..." The girl shakes her head. "Still, Gaara's only transforming his right arm right now..." At that, she brings her hands up to her chin, almost as though praying.

More sand spills forth from Gaara's gourd as he mutters, "More... more!" The sand forms into a tail, several spikes jutting from it. The girl gasps in fright as Sasuke looks on.

_'What... what is he? Parts of him... keep changing, one after another...'_ Sasuke thinks to himself as Gaara grasps the tree branch he's on with his claw and tail, pushing back from it, and slingshotting at Sasuke, smashing through the branch the dark-haired Leaf-nin is standing on. Sasuke's eyes flicker to red again as he leaps away, receiving a shallow cut in his arm for his trouble, and lands, standing upside-down on the underside of another branch above. "He's even faster..." he says, astonished. "I can't dodge unless I read ahead of his movements. If I didn't have these eyes, I'd have died long ago." His eyes track Gaara unerringly as the transformed boy spreads his sand claw out, catching onto nearby trees and branches, and he slingshots back towards the Uchiha. Sasuke forms a single seal, thinking, _'I can't use Chidori again...'_ as he takes a deep breath, exhaling with a shout of, "**Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu**!" and launching a large ball of flames at Gaara.

Gaara's claw and tail expand, wrapping the boy in a cocoon of sand as he launches forward through the ball of fire. The sand retracts as he passes through the other side, and Sasuke's eyes widen. "So the Fire style won't work against sand... and what's more, this level of Jutsu can't break through his defense. It... it has to be Chidori..."

"Die!" Gaara shouts, bloodlust filling his expression as he slams his claw into Sasuke, launching him through several branches before the dark-haired ninja strikes a large tree, leaving a crater behind as he lands on a branch.

_'I can only use the Chidori twice, since it has to be used with the Sharingan...'_ Sasuke thinks to himself,_ 'and Kakashi-sensei said that it could kill me to try a third in a single day...'_

Gaara laughs, maniacally, and says, "What's wrong? Is this all your existence is worth? You're weak... because your hatred is weak! The power of hatred... the intent to kill... the power of revenge... your hatred is weaker than mine! Do you understand? That means that you... you are weaker than me!"

"Shut up!" Sasuke says, pulling himself to his feet. "Itachi chose me as the one to kill him..." Lightning began to spark wildly in his hand again, the ball of energy forming rapidly. Red eyes snapping up towards Gaara, Sasuke shouts, "I am an avenger!" and launches himself towards the redhead, raising his hand with the lightning ball in it. Gaara launches himself forward as well, his grin firmly in places as he raises his hand. As Sasuke flies forward, the ball of lightning begins to ebb as pain lances through his body, and he thinks, _'No... it's... not enough... I need more!"_

The two collide, slicing at each other, one with a claw of sand, the other with a ball of electricity that suddenly swells. As they land, the sand at Gaara's shoulder crumbles, cascading down his arm, the claw falling apart. A slash can be seen on Sasuke's shoulder as well, revealing dark, flame-like markings spreading across his skin and his face. Gaara grimaces in pain as sand flows from his gourd, spreading over his left arm this time and reforming the sand claw, while Sasuke collapses in pain, his hand coming up to a spot on his neck where the black markings seem to originate. "The Curse Mark again," he mutters, "My body won't move..." As Gaara lunges at him again, Sasuke lets out another cry of pain, thinking, _'It's as though... something's tearing at my soul...'_

Just as Gaara brings his claw down to strike, another figure comes out of nowhere, a powerful kick knocking Gaara back across the trees. The figure, a blonde, spiky-haired boy in an orange jumpsuit, wearing a Leaf headband around his forehead, lands on a branch between Sasuke and Gaara, his blue eyes glaring at the monstrous readhead, his mouth set into an angry snarl, framed by three whisker-like marks on each cheek. Behind him, a pink-haired girl in a red dress and black shorts lands next to Sasuke, along with a small brown dog wearing a blue coat and a Leaf headband. Gaara meets the blonde's glare with one of his own, his eyes promising untold pain and death, as the girl and dog check on Sasuke.

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_'I haven't seen a single person, friend or foe, since leaving the villiage proper...'_ Alana thought to herself, running through the forest, guided by the malevolent power, her Esper training allowing her to sense it as clearly as a lighthouse beacon on a dark night. _'How far are they... and why?_' Her amethyst eyes darted from side to side, and flickered up into the foliage above as she continued running. "This power..." she muttered to herself, "Am I really prepared to face a foe with this kind of power?"

As she moved forward, a faint rustling noise reached her ears. "What..." she whispered, before calling, "Hello? Is someone there?" As she looked around, a figure dropped behind her from the trees, almost silently, a kunai in hand and poised to strike. Raising the blade, the figure suddenly stopped, a grunt of pain passing its lips. Alana turned, seeing the figure... a young, brown-haired boy, pale and sweating, eyes hidden behind dark glasses and mouth hidden behind the high collar of a grey jacket. Seeing the stylized leaf on his headband, she relaxed, saying, "Oh, I thought you were an enemy."

"Who are you?" the boy asked, not lowering his blade. Even behind his sunglasses, Alana could tell that he was glaring at her, determined to fight even through his apparent pain if she appeared to be a threat.

"My name is Alana Tierney," she responded, quickly. "I'm a friend, I promise... Jiraiya asked me to come out here, to help against... Shukaku, I think it was. The sand demon. Were you fighting him? You're hurt..."

"..." The boy watched her impassively for a tense minute before lowering the blade, saying, "A demon... that would explain the chakra I feel from him. One of my comrades is pursuing him, and I assisted by fighting one of the Sand ninja trying to aid in his escape. I emerged victorious, but am not in any condition to continue pursuit, as you saw..." The boy grunted slightly, clutching his chest briefly before continuing. Alana, watching, noticed a couple of insects crawling along the boy's hand, though he seemed to take no notice. "I can direct you, if needed, though..."

Alana shook her head, answering, "No, I can find him easily enough... but first, I can try to heal you... I know several healing Techs, and a bit of healing Magic, as well."

"I'm afraid healing my physical wounds won't aid me..." the boy stated, still in a quiet monotone. Taking a couple of breaths, he continued, "My opponent employed poisons... and my insects are unable to remove it from my system."

"I... see..." Alana said slowly, thinking, _'His insects? What... no, never mind, no time for that now. Still... I wonder what he looks like if he uncovers his face..._' Shaking her head to clear it, she replied, "Poison I can deal with... **Anti**!" With the last word, she extended her hand towards the boy, a green glow flickering briefly over her hand before a similar glow encompassed him. The glow lingered for a moment before fading, and as it cleared, a bit more color was visible on the boy's face. A single raised eyebrow was the only indicator of the boy's surprise.

After taking a moment to evaluate his condition, the boy nodded, saying, "Thank you... Tierney-san. I should be able to continue shortly."

"That's good..." Alana replied, saying, "I'll wait for you, then. Umm... what's your name?"

"...Aburame Shino." the boy answered, quietly.

Alana looked at the boy, and said, "Aburame? That's... an interesting name..."

"As is Tierney," the boy stated, "though I must say, I've never heard of the Alana clan. Are you from a civilian family?"

Shaking her head, Alana responded, "No, Alana's my first name. Tierney's the name from my adopted family... My birth parents were Espers, as are my adoptive mother and I."

The boy thought for a moment, before answering, "Tierney Alana, then... it must be custom to place the family name after the given name where you come from. By your customs, my name would be Shino Aburame, then."

"Shino... I see. I'll keep that in mind... but..." Alana hesitated for a moment, before continuing, "What did you mean, what you said earlier? About your insects?"

Shino gazed silently at Alana for a moment, before replying, "The Aburame clan uses insects in our jutsus." As he spoke this, Alana noticed one of the insects crawling into a small hole in Shino's skin. "I believe I'll be able to continue, now. We should hurry... Uchiha Sasuke should have caught up with them by now."

"Alright..." Alana answered, turning to continue with Shino beside her. Shino leaped into the trees, looking back at her as she started to run. Looking up, Alana said, "I'm... not a ninja... I can't do things like that." After a moment's thought, Shino nodded, and jumped back down beside her. As the two ran forward, Alana suddenly blinked for a moment as she felt a familiar darkness come from the same direction as the demon's malevolent presence. _'That power... It's... it's the same as Dark Force...'_

Glancing at Alana, and seeing the sudden distress on her face, Shino said, "You are concerned about Sabaku no Gaara's power? The power of this sand demon? That... is wise. From what I've seen, it is clear that Gaara is a powerful opponent... Some caution would be prudent."

Alana nodded as they continued, but thought to herself, _'Suddenly, this demon... Gaara, or Shukaku, or whatever he's called... he's not what's worrying me.'_

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry about the delay, this chapter took a lot longer to get out than I expected. The invasion is underway, with several battles being fought at once. Our wayward friends from Algo have joined in on Konoha's side, but will they be able to handle the invading shinobi, or will their own skills fail them? And what of the dark power that Alana senses? The next chapter continues the battles, as shinobi and Protectors clash, and the invasion draws to a close.

Meanwhile, for those who might not be familiar with both of the source materials for this fic, I'll be including lists of all Skills, Techs, Jutsu, Magic, and Combination Attacks introduced in each chapter. The prologue is already updated with this information, as well.

Thanks for reading, and please review!

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**Techs:**

**Nafoi** - Fire Element, B-Rank - This technique superheats the air around the target, engulfing them in a pillar of flame. Lucas carries a dagger with this Tech embedded into it, allowing him to trigger it as needed, though not at full power.

**Thu - **Thunder Element, D-Rank - This technique fires a highly focused beam of lightning at the target. The beam is roughly the diameter of a small coin.

**Anti** - No Element, C-Rank - This technique will purge the body of easily-detectable poisons and diseases. Complex poisions and diseases, or ones that are difficult to isolate, will not be removed.

**Skills:**

**Earthbind** - Earth Element, D-Rank - The user strikes the ground in front of an opponent, using chakra to make the ground flow up in an attempt to ensnare the target. The target can use their own chakra to cancel this effect.

**Spells:**

**Legeon** - No Element, S-Rank - This spell launches a barrage of pure magic over an area, devastating anything within the blast.

**Flaeli** - Fire Element, C-Rank - This spell launches four bolts of flame at a target simultaneously.

**Jutsus: **

**Shishienjin**_**(Four Violet Flames Battle Encampment)**_ - Fire Element, B-Rank - The users of this jutsu create a box-like barrier with themselves placed at the barrier's corners. The barrier does not allow anyone to enter or exit so long as the users are unharmed. Those who come into contact with it burst into purple flame.

**Futon: Renkudan**_**(Wind Style: Drilling Air Bullet)**_- Wind Element, C-Rank - This jutsu allows the user to fire a ball of compressed air from his mouth, which explodes on impact with a target. The power of the bullet is in proportion to the amount of chakra used, so a powerful user can cause a great deal of damage.

**Kokuangyo no Jutsu**_**(Bringer of Darkness Jutsu)**_ - No Element, A-Rank - This genjutsu creates a field of impenetrable darkness, blocking all sight within. Other senses are not affected.

**Suiton: Suijinheki**_**(Water Style: Water Encampment Wall)**_ - Water Element, B-Rank - This jutsu creates a wall of water around the user, flowing upward to divert attacks. The user still has some visibility through the wall, allowing for a swift counterattack.

**Doton: Doryuso**_**(Earth Style: Rising Stone Spears)**_ - Earth Element, C-Rank - This jutsu causes mud and stone nearby to condense, forming spikes that rise from the ground. The jutsu can cause the spikes to fire out at an opponent if the user wishes.

**Suiton: Koka Suijin**_**(Water Style: Water Hardened Drill)**_ - Water Element, B-Rank - The user of this jutsu focuses heavily condensed water around their arm, forming it into a spiralling drill. Upon striking an enemy, the drill can be made to explode in a powerful blast of water.

**Chidori**_**(One Thousand Birds)**_ - Lightning Element, A-Rank - This jutsu channels a great amount of lightning chakra into the users hand, so compressed it becomes visible. The user then rushes forward in a straight line, slamming the compressed chakra into a target. The jutsu can only be used effectively by bearers of the Sharingan, as those are the only individuals who can see possible attempts to counter or dodge the attack at the high speeds required to use the jutsu effectively. The jutsu's name is derived from the sound created by the compressed electricity, that of innumerable birds chirping.

**Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu**_**(Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu)**_ - Fire Style, C-Rank - This jutsu converts chakra inside the body into flame, and breathes the fire out. The flame forms into a fireball a few feet in front of the target.

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Also, I'm still in need of a beta for this fic. Knowledge of Naruto is a must, knowledge of Phantasy Star IV is recommended, but not required. Send me a PM if interested!


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